Portable grain-loading device



Nov. 4, 1930., A. M LE NNAN 1,780,307

PORTABLE GRAIN LOADING DEVICE Filed Ja'n. 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I In /n van/qr drp ad [77. emu n w or e? Nov. 4,1930. MCLERINAN 1,780,307

PORTABLE GRAIN LOADING DEVICE Filed Jan. 15, 1929 2 Sheota-$hee 2' Patented Nov. 4, 1930 l UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE ABIAD MOLENNAN, 0F KITSGOTY, ALBERTA, CANADA PORTABLE GBAIN-LOADIN G DEVICE Application Med January 15, 1929, Serial No. 332,603, and in Canada June 8, 1928.

This present invention relates to new and ment of parts as shall be hereinafter more useful improvements in a portable grain fully described, illustrated in the accompanyloading device and has for its primary object ing drawings, and pointed out in the claims the provision of a simple structure including hereunto appended.

a sleigh platform serving as the support for The invention will be best understood and 50 the grain elevator and also carrying power can be more clearly described when reference transmission mechanism whereby the grain is had to the drawings forming a part of this elevator may be operated by the rear wheels disclosure, wherein like characters indicate of the motor truck, to be loaded from the bin. like parts throughout the several views.

1 Another 'object of the invention resides in In the drawings the provision of a portable grain loading de- Figure 1 is a rear elevation of the portable vice which is constructed in such a manner grain loading device in operation;

Y that the grain elevator may be supported in Figure 2 is a plan of the platform;

upright position on the platform when in Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device use or may be folded onto the platform and with the motor truck removed from the plat- 60 the side extensions of the latter turned up form;

against the grain elevator during transpor- Figure 4 is a vertical section through the tation of the device. grain elevator taken substantially on the A further object of the invention resides in plane of line 44 of Figure 3, looking in the the provision of a portable grain loading dedirection indicated by the arrows; and as vice of the character stated in which the plat- Figure 5 is a rear elevation of the platform form may be readily drawn with the grain with the grain elevator in its folded position elevator thereon, by connecting the end of the thereon and the xt nsions of the platform platform with the motor truck and the grain turned up. 7

. elevator raised on the end of the truck and at- R f in or in d tail to the drawings, 70 ache t th g n loading g n r m it is to be noted that the device includes a the bin into the truck after the side extensions tr k latf 11 om eed f longitudinal of the truck have been turned down and the l i h r n 12 an tran v rs bracin motor vehicle run onto the platform from one members 13 xt nded thereacross. A pair 0 side thereof with the rear wheels of the motor lon it di l hafts 14 are mounted longi- 75 truck. resting on the rollers 0n the p w r tudinally on the truck platform 11 by suitable transmitting shafts operatively mounted shaft bearings 15 carried on the transverse longitudinally of the center of the platform b in e b r 13. Th shafts 14 are arfor transferring driving power to the grain an d t one ide f-th l tfo 11 in elevator. spaced relation and carry near their opp-oa} A still further object of the invention resite ends the pairs of elongated rollers 16 on sidesin the provision ofaportable grain loadwhich may rest the rear wheels 17 of the ing device of the character stated which is of motor truck 18 when the latter is run onto simple and inexpensive, construction and the truck platform from one side, so as to operation composed of the minimum number cause rotation of the shafts 14 by transmisof parts and highly eflicient in operationsion of power thereto from the motor truck To the accomplishment of these and related rear axle 19. The other half of the platform objects as will become.apparent as the de- 11 has spaced longitudinal strips 20 secured scription proceeds, my invention resides in on the transverse bracing members 13 to prethe construction, combination and arrangevent the motor truck rear wheels 17 from ill dropping through the platform 11 when the truck is being moved onto or off of the platform 11. Hinged on the platform 11 near one end of the main portion thereof, is the elevator support 21 on which the grain elevator 22 rests when folded to inoperative position, the legs of the support21 being attached to the platform 11 at their lower ends by appropriate hinges 23. The grain elevator 22 is mounted by its lower shaft 24 on the upstanding bearings 25 carried on the other end of the platform 11 and when in its folded position extends on a slight incline over the platform 11 and longitudinally thereof, the sectional flexible discharge spout 26 of the elevator being directed toward the platform 11-and thus protected against liability ofinjury during transportation of the devices; Hinged to either longitudinal edge or side of-the platform 11 is a side extension 27 extending nearly the entire length thereof and adapted to incline downwardly to the surface on which the truck platform 11 rests to permit the motor truck to be moved onto or off of the platform 11 fromeither side thereof, when the grain elevator 22 is in its normal upright position and the elevator support 21 is folded downwardly to its inoperative position. When the grain elevator 22 is folded down to inoperative position on the platform 11, to permit transportation of the device, the side extensions 27 for the platform 11 should be turned up toward either side of the grain elevator 22 and in which position they may be retained byany suitable means or in any preferred manner, during transportation of the device.

When in its upstanding or operative position, the grain elevator 22 may be held adjacent the grain bin 27 by one or more clamping hooks 28 and the intake spout 29 for the grain elevator 22 inserted in the lower portion of the grain bin 27 to feed grain from the latter into the bottom of the grain elevator 22. A power transmitting belt 30 operates over the belt wheel 31 on an extended end of one of the shafts 14 and the belt 30 also operates on the belt wheel 32 carried on the upper elevator shaft 33, thus driving the endless bucket chains 34 of the grain elevator 22 within the casing of the elevator and carrying the spaced elevator buckets '35 which gather the grain from the bottom of a the elevator and transferthe grain to the upper end of the elevator, from which it is discharged through the flexible sectional discharge spout 26' of the elevator and into the truck 18. It is to be understood that the bucket chains 34 operate around sprocket wheels 36 on the upper and lower elevator shafts 33 and 24 respectively. Appropriate braces 37 are attached to the outer extremities of the shaft 24 and converge upwardly with their upper end secured to the sides of the casing of the grain elevator 22. The belt 30 may be removed from the belt wheel 32 for folding downwardly the grain elevator 22 and transporting the device. In addition to the bearing brackets 15 for the shafts 14,

a pair of special supporting brackets 38 are provided on the platform 11 and adapted to be tightened on the shafts 14 to prevent rotation of said shafts 14 and the rollers 16 when the motor truck.18 is being moved onto or off of the platform 11. It is also to be understood that the grain bin 27 may be supported on runners 39 to permit moving or transportation of the bin 27 over snow or ice surfaces.

As the construction of the device has thus been described, in detail, brief reference is now had to its use and modus operandi: For transportation purposes the grain elevator 22 is supported in its folded position or inoperativc position on the platform 11 and the platform 11 drawn over the surface by the motor truck 18, in travelling to or away from the grain bin 27. YVhen it is desired to transfer grain from the grain bin 27 to the motor truck 18, the platform 11 is moved to position with one end thereof toward the side of the bin 27 and the intake spout 29 of the grain elevator 22 inserted in the opening provided therefor in the lower portion of the side grain bin'27. The grain elevator 22, naturally must be in its upstanding operative position at this time and may be held rigid by the books 28 attached to the body of the grain elevator 22' and engaged with appropriate members on the grain bin 27. By moving the motor vehicle 18 onto the platform 11, after lowering of the platform side extensions 27, until the rear wheels 17 of the motor truck 18 rest on the pairs of rollers 16, the motor truck 18 will thus be in position to receive the grain from the grain bin 27 by way of the grain elevator 22, the flexible sectional discharge spout 26 of which hangs over the top of the motor truck 18 to discharge therein. Operation of the rear axle 19 of the motor truck 18 will result in rotation of the rollers 16 by the motor truck rear wheels 17, thus permitting transfer of the power by the belt 30 to the upper shaft 33 of the grain elevator 22, thus resulting in the grain being gathered from the grain bin 27 by the grain elevator 22 and transferred into the motor truck 18.

From the foregoing description taken'in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be manifest that a portable grain loading device is provided that will fulfill all the necessary requirements of such a device, but as many changes could be made in the above description and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention may be constructed within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matters contained in the said accompanying specification and drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limited sense.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1, A portable grain loading device including a platform having longitudinal shafts thereon with pairs of rollers adjacent opposite ends; side extensions hinged to said platform; a rain elevator hinged to one end of said plat orm and supported in upright position thereon for operation; said grain elevator being adapted to be folded down over said platform for transportation purposes; said side extensions of the platform being adapted to be folded up against said grain elevator for transportation purposes; a support on said plat orm for said grain elevator when the latter is folded down in inoperative posi tion on said platform; and means for trans ferring power from one of said shafts to said grain elevator to operate the latter when in operative upstanding position. Y

2. A portable grain loading device including a platform having sleigh runners thereunder; side extensions hinged to said plat-- form and adapted to be folded up over the main portion thereof; a grain elevator hingedly mounted by its lower shaft on one end of said platform and adapted to operate thereon in upstanding position; means for operating said grain elevator from said platform; said means includinga pair of shafts with elongated rollers thereon and adapted to be driven by the drivin r wheels of a motor vehicle resting on said ro lers; means for preventing operation of said shafts and rollers during placing of the motor vehicle on the platform with the drive wheels thereof resting on said rollers and during removal of said motor Vehicle from the platform; said grain elevator being adapted to be operatively connected with a grain bin for transferring grain therefrom to the motor vehicle on said platform; and means carried by said platform for receiving and supporting said grain elevator in inoperative position on said platform during transportation of the device.

3. A portable grain loading device including a platform having longitudinal shafts thereon with pairs of elongated rollers near their opposite ends; side extensions hinged to said platform and adapted to engage the surface when in operative position; said side extensions being adapted to be turned up to inoperative position for transportation of the device ;upstanding bearings at one end of said platform; a grain elevator pivotally mounted between said upstanding bearings; operative connections between one of said shafts and said grain elevator; bracing means for said grain elevator; said grain elevator being adapted to be attached to a grain bin to receive grain therefrom; said rollers being adapted to be operated by thedriving wheels signature.

ARPAD MGLENNAN. [1,. s] 

